Shot.



T. G. FROTHINGHAM.

SHOT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, |916.

Pa'nted Dee. 11, 1917.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT onricn.

THMAS G'. FROTHINGHAM, 0F BOSTQN, MASSAGHUSETTS.

snor. f 1,249,372. y spasms grr-eters mm Patented Dec. 11, 1917. Application led September 26, 1916. Serial No.J121,11".

To all whomrt may concern.' surface. This true bearing insures an equal Be it known that I, THoMAs G. FnorniNsHAM, a citizen of the United States, and

' j a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of'Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shots, of which the following is a speci- ,iication f My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in shots, especially chain shots now obsolete in warfare owing to the non adaptability of such chain shots of known constrltion to modern gunnery, .where accuracy and ran e are essential.

The object o my invention is to produce an improved shot of the chain .shot type which will overcome the present diiculty of secu an effective hit on an aircraftor other o ject which it is sought to inJure or destroy, as 'shrapnel or such other missiles, either shoot too far or too short before scattering, and the eiect thereof is lost on the object aimed at. The` injury or damage from a shot constructed according to my invention will hel possible over long distance of the shote travel, as it will make a large hole in the object aimed at anywhere in its course, owi to its spread and tearing effeet during its Hight through the air; t

These and'other ob'ects are accomplished b the device hereina ter described and particularly set forth in th claims.

In the, accompanying rawing which illustrates my invention: A

Figure 1 is a detail view of the improved chain shot.

Fig'. 2 is an elevation of the shot assembled and ready to put in the gun.

Fi 3 is a detail view partly in section showing the chain shot assembled in a cartridge case in position for firing` p Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The shot A consists of two sections B and C respectively rovided with inner recessesF B and C in w ch recesses the chain D secured' at B2 and C2 to the sections B and C respectively is coiledy when the assembled shot'is placed in the gun thus 'ving a true baring of one section of the s ot upon the o er. y

As shown in Fig. 2, the two parts 'of the shot where they are in contact present a sqlllared and equal surface against one anot er at enact right angles to the length of the shot, instead of any irregular `contact .rate with no friction or adhesion of impact from the force of the charge to the entire mass-of the double shot, which gives the double shot an absolutely true direction when it leaves the muzzle of the gun and does away with irregularity of flight which has been the defect of devices intended for the same urpose.

The section of the shot B is substantially larger and heavier than the section C, as is shown by the drawing. This heavier section of the double shot insures a continuance of the true direction given by the initial impact. In other forms of chain shot, where the sections have been of nearly equal or irregular shape, any accuracy of iii ht has been impossible. Inmy device the eavier section B (the head of the shot) maintains its accuracy of direction and is not deiiected by the smaller and lighter section C when this smaller and lighter section has se arated from the section B. This se aration is accomplished without any disturgance of the direction of the heavier section B because, as shown in Fig. 2, the contacting surfaces are Hush so as to facilitate the separation of the shot members, without any joint or irregular surface. Any form of joint or irregularity of surface, however slight, tends to deflect the direction of the shot when the sections ofthe shot separate. Whereas, in my invention, the sections of the shot sepaany kind, and consequently no disturbance in the direction of the shot.

Thedevices in various prior patents for chain shots, as known to applicant, diifer from my invention in two important points which are the essentials of my invention.

First, the true bearing of one part ofthe shot against the other part of the shot at right angles to the length of the shot with out joint or irregularity of any kind.

Second, the substantially heavier head of the shot. 4

These two essentials insure, a true impact to the entire mass of the shot from the pow' der char y, a true direction of the shot on leaving t e muzzle of the gun, and a continued true direction of the shot as a result of the heavier head of the shot retaiiiin this after it the true direction and dragging lighter art of the shot. orms of chain shot, suc as the Ely and Gault U. S. Patents 34,6126 and 34,628 do not show or describe' these two essentials. The parts of yand have no such true bearing to receive the impact of the charge and distribute it uniformly throughout the mass of the shot, and

do not show or describe the heavier head ncessary to insure the true flight of the s ot.

In other forms of chain shot, various irregularly shaped parts, balls, etc., separate themselves from the shot and there is nothing of the essentials above described. The lack of these essentials has made all such forms of shots useless on account of the irregularity of their flight.

Various prior British patents, as known to applicant, such as the Storm and Goldstein patents, plainly show distinct differeach case there is a frictional joint holding the parts of the shot together, and this fric` tional joint prevents an equilibrim of separation, which is necessarily impossible from any fitting joint, andI this inequality of separation isv increased by the explosive charge, shown and described in each"case as necessary to 'cause the separation of the two -parts of the shot.

In the Storm Patent 321 of 1861 the description of Fig. 9 states that the powder inclosed in the shell will become ignited by the fuse, and lexploding it will cause the se aration of the coupled parts C and D.

n the Goldstein Patent 4393 of 1913 it plainly states in claim 2 wherein such exterior parts are held together by friction only until separated by the explosion of the internal charge.

In both British patents the drawings clearly show frictional joints between the sections of the shot. applicants device, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the two parts of the shot are -assembled with the, abutting ends resting against one another with squared and equal surfaces at right angles to the length 'of the shot with no frictional or other joint, so-

that the parts ofthe shot may separate with lno| friction or adhesion of any kind, and

consequently no disturbance of the direction of the shot. Moreover there is no use of eX- plosives to cause the parts to separate, as in the two British patents.

In my invention there 'is no joint whatever between the parts of the shot. This makes it different from any form of chain cause I have devised a way of hold shot known to me. I have been able to do away with the joining of the two plrlts bel g the two separate parts in assembled position preliminary to the discharge of the Ishot by use of On the contrary, in

a cartridge case, as shown in Fig. The shot is assembled as in Fig. 2, standing on its nose, with the, parts adJusted to one another. Then the loaded cartridge case is slipped down over the bearing' between the two sepone another without friction or disturbance ,75

of any kind as soon as the shot leaves the muzzle of the gun in the discharge.

Having` thus described the nature of my I invention and set forth a construction emences from the appllcants device, 1n that'i' bodying the same, what. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An improved chain shot consisting of two separate sections, one of which is heavier than the other, the separate sections in assembled position restingV one against the other with squared and equaLcontacting surfaces at right angles to the length of the shot,` eachsection free from any retaining device, and each section free to move away from the other section the `shot is discharged from the gun, and means for holding the two sections in their relative assembled position preliminary to the discharge of the shot from the gun.

2. An improved chain shot consisting of two separate sections,I one of which is heavier than the other, the separate sections in assembled position resting one against the other with squared and equal contacting surfaces at right angles to the length of the shot, each section free from any retaining device, and means exterior to the shot for 'holding the two sections in their relative as# sections in assembled position resting one against the other'with squared and equall contacting surfaces at right angles to the length of the shot, each section free from any retaining device, and a cartridge case for holding the two sections in their relative assembled position preliminary to the dis'- charge of the shot from` the gun.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, this 'fourteenth day of September, A. D., 1916. f

THOMAS, G. FROTHINQHAM 

